Packnet Blog

Running a business more often than not requires adopting specialist commercial services and facilities in order to function effectively. This principal is clear in regard to areas such as finance and accounting; and it should be no less so when it comes to communications.

When selecting a broadband internet service provider, for example, it is crucial to ensure that the latter’s packages can cope consistently with the high volume and complexity of commercial activity. The few firms that try and make do with cheaper, domestic-standard broadband usually find they end up effectively shutting themselves off from half of their customers and half of their potential business opportunities.

A recent report from the US has pointed to SIP trunking as one of the key factors behind impressive year on year growth in the market for new generation telecommunications equipment.

According to the report, from leading industry analysis firm, Exact Ventures, the hardware that facilitates SIP trunking – session border controllers – has shown a 55% growth in the first quarter of 2011 over the same period in 2010.

A survey by research group, Webtorials, has shown that businesses which adopt VoIP or IP telephony solutions tend to enjoy significant benefits both from an economic point of view, and from the mutually beneficial perspective of increased customer satisfaction.

According to the survey, over half the companies that have switched to business VoIP (voice over internet protocol) for their voice calls; or which have adopted broader internet protocol (IP) telephony methods of sending and receiving both voice and non-voice data; are currently enjoying cost savings of at least 20%.

Oxfordshire businesses are lagging behind others in the UK, owing to a lack of fast broadband infrastructure in the area, according to the president of the Oxfordshire Chamber of Commerce, Nigel Wild.

Mr Wild said that ‘super speedy broadband’ should be considered ‘a necessity for businesses’, and urged that high speed broadband connection capability be provided throughout the county as soon as possible.

Some small and medium sized companies can be so keen to take advantage of the benefits offered by business VoIP that they end up making a leap of faith with a solution that turns out to be completely inappropriate to their needs.

The following are some of the frequently occurring errors that can catch out the experienced regarding VoIP (voice over internet protocol) and internet protocol (IP) telephony.

The Chairman of BT, Sir Mike Rake, has spoken of what he sees as the extreme importance of high speed broadband for both the domestic and commercial spheres.

Speaking at a recent meeting of leading companies which plan to give economic advice to the Welsh Government , Sir Mike said that broadband had ‘not only moved from being a luxury to a necessity’, but was ‘now seen as a utility’.

Wiltshire Council has said that the new single IP telephony and VoIP solution it has implemented for all 5,000 of its staff has led to significant gains both in terms of communications management and economies.

Among the benefits cited by the council regarding its VoIP (voice over internet protocol) and IP (internet protocol) telephony system, is a major contribution to total savings of £2.5 million – achieved as a result of dealing with a single telecommunications supplier, and also from lower support costs.

Business VoIP handsets are often praised as offering so much more than a conventional telephone handset; and IP telephony for being so much more than simply an alternative to ISDN. Now, a recent study has revealed that in Japan, at least, there is an increasing recognition and a growing use of the many added value features of both VoIP (voice over internet protocol) handsets and IP (internet protocol) telephony.

According to the study, carried out by research organisation IDC, the percentage of Japanese users who, for example, organised video conferencing, voice conferencing or internet conferencing via IP telephony increased year on year in 2009-10 from 19.2% to 27.8%.

Successful global business VoIP handset manufacturer, Yealink, has had another reason to celebrate recently following the award of a special business honour by His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh to the company’s UK managing director, Andrew Roberts.

The award, a Highly Commended Certificate presented by His Royal Highness in his capacity as City & Guilds’ president, was made in recognition of Mr Roberts’ ‘outstanding contribution, commitment, and dedication to the telecommunications industry’.

A new report by UK broadband information organisation, Point Topic, has produced findings which will come as no surprise to those already familiar with the rapid adoption of business VoIP; that worldwide take up of VoIP services in general rose by 12.6% in 2010, and is also predicted to continue to increase substantially over the next five years.

The Point Topic report points to the main driving force behind the huge upsurge in VoIP adoption as the considerable cost savings enjoyed over traditional telephone company landline call connections.